Floating auger conveyer for grain cutters



m 5, 1950 T. CARROLL 2,518,521

FLOATING AUGER CONVEYER FOR GRAIN CUTTERS Filed Dec. 26, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. 77 /0M/i5 CAEB L 1. BY

ATTOENEY Aug. 15, 1950 T. CARROLL FLOATING AUGER CONVEYER FOR GRAIN CUTTERS Filed Dec. 26, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. THOM/LS 6041.

arz oe/vsr Patented Aug. 50

FLOATING AUGER CONVEYER FOR GRAIN CUTTERS Thomas Carroll, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Massey-Harris Co. Ltd., Toronto, On-- tario, Canada, a corporation of Canada Application December 26, 1947, Serial No."793,824

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to auger conveyors for combines, one design of which is shown in my issued Patent g t-2,426,922, September 2, 1947.

The present invention comprises means for adjusting the auger to a desired minimum height relative to the trough or platform and also means whereby the auger is free to raise vertically or float over an excessive or unexpected bulk of grain, thus to prevent excessive strain on the auger and its driving mechanism.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide an adjustment whereby the operator can adjust the minimum height of the auger to correspond with the stand of grain to be harvested and also provide a floating auger which will respond to sudden and unexpected bulk of grain.

A. further object of the present invention is to make it possible to adjust the height of the auger to a light crop and at the same time provide the floating means for eventualities.

In the present invention means are provided whereby the auger can be adjusted close enough to the trough to successfully and continuously feed the grain of a very light stand and at the same time rotect the device against spots in the field of heavy grain.

In the present invention the weight of the auger is sufiicient to cause the auger to handle either the heaviest or lightest stand of grain. Thus my floating auger is at all times automatic in its action.

To these and other useful ends my invention consists of parts, combinations of parts or their equivalents and mode of operation, as hereinafter described and claimed and shown in the accompanyin drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my device with portions cut away on opposite sides of the elevator and taken on lines I-i of Figure 2.

Fig. 2 is an end view of my improved device showing the elevator with a fraction cut away and taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but taken on lines 3-3 of Figure 2.

Fig. 4 illustrates the preferred form of bearing for the driver end of the auger and sectioned on a horizontal line showing a fraction of the main auger shaft.

Fig. 5 is an end section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section of the preferred form of bearing for the other end of the auger showing a fraction of the main auger shaft.

As thus illustrated the preferred form of ele- 2 vator used wlth'my improved auger conveyor is designatedin its entirety by reference character A. The platform and its rigidly connected parts in its entirety is designated by reference character B. The auger in its entirety is designated by reference character C Platform 3' has a trough In and has secured to its front edge a cutter bar II, the ends of the trough being closed by plates I2-l 2 upon which bearings l3 and M are mounted in a manner 'as will hereinafter appear. Members l2 have at their upper edges flanges l5-l5 which at their lower front ends intersect the usual gathering plates 1'6. A rear end plate I! is secured to the rear .edge of trough l0 and to plates l2 and extendspreferably vertically terminating in a forwardly extending shield member [8, this shield member acting to stiffen the upper edge of member l1 and prevent grain from passing rearwardly over the plate. Member I! is provided with an outlet opening 3! preferably intermediate atits ends, which extends from the trough as at 2D to a point 2|, the ends of the opening bein preferably as at 22-22.

Elevator A hasside plates 23-23 which are connected together at their bottoms by a plate 24 which intersects the bottom ofthe opening in plate H. Member A is provided with a cover 25 which extends through the outlet opening 3| in plate l1 and preferably curving forward and downward as at 26. The elevator has an upper shaft 21 and a lower shaft 28 each of these shafts having sprockets or drums adapted to carry the endless elevator belt 29.

Shaft 21 is preferably rotatably mountedin members 23 and may act as a driver for the underpass elevator, having suitable sprockets for the purpose. Shaft 28 may extend through plates 23 in which case slots 30 are provided so theforward end of elevator 29 may yieldingly contact the grain as it enters the elevator, thus to insure against clogging of the grain in the outlet opening 3| in member l1.

Thus I have described briefly the preferred form of elevator used with my auger table and will now describe my improved floating auger C.

Auger 0 comprises preferably two large tubes 40-40 which terminate at their outer ends as at ll-4|, their inner ends terminating preferably past the ends of outlet opening 3| as at 42-42 and being connected together by means of preferably four bars 43, the bars being welded to the inner surface of the tubes as indicated in Figure 1.

Midway the ends of members 43 I provide a 3 disc 44 which is welded thereto, thus to add strength to the assembly. On each tube 40 I mount oppositely turned augers 45 and 46 adapted to move the grain toward outlet opening 3!, the augers terminating at their inner ends as at 48-48 orashort distance past-the ends of outlet opening .31 and' on opposite sides of members; v To the ends of each auger 45 and 46 and on bars 43, I secure plates 4949 which are gradually reduced in width in opposite directions as shown and having preferably notches" as at" which are adapted to efiectively engage thegrain; thus the grain will bedelivered from opposite ends of the table insbundles into 1 outlet opening 3| and in bundles somewhat shprter than the length of the outlet opening.

Auger 0' design is very similar to my pending V weldedito the .tube as at'.fi"l". Leftfhand' disc 69' hasnarbearingnshaft EZ'which i's'welded' thereto a'siatYB'B'L Shaft .GZisjOiirnal'eldTih bearing .l4 (see Figure .6); ,Another shaft 6 3' is secured to the ri'ght handfdisc. BWby wcldil gfas. at 63i Shaft 64Textends throughbearing l3" (see Figure 4) and hasmounted' on its. outer end' a sprocket 65 which answers. as .a driver for the auger", assembly;

Each .member .12 has a ivertically positioned elbngate'd' rectangular opening. .66 with bars 631 7.61: on. opposite. sides thereof}. which are secured to'theplate's. O'the'rbars {.GB'are secured to the plates at the bottom oftheopenin'g as illustrated. Bearings l3. and- [4, on their .forward and (rear sides j are provided with. grooves ..6959 which are .adapted'it'o .loosely,.and slidab1yembrace members e57. Members fill are "each providedwith a threaded bolt ,lu havinga lock nut 1.1.. 'Bari'ngslB' and [4" 'ntheirvlowe'st' position mayv rest on .members .6181at' which time members 45and146 arevery close to member it; (see Figure This lowestipositio'nof the auger unitinay be successfully usedfo'r thevery--lighte'st' yieldof grain. .For heavieryields bjoltIU isused'iorra'isingthebearings.

Openings .6'6. arelb'ngienough vertically so when the bearing's1 .ar;e adjusted "forxthe. heaviest yield they will beifreeitoraise'a considerable; distance vertically;- ,Thusin addition to the adjustment 4 provided for heavy and light grain, either or both ends of the auger conveyor will be permitted to raise above the adjustment for moving over an excessive amount or large bulk of grain, thus to protect the device against injury and provide, What .1 term, a .floating auger.

'Tlius it-will be" seenthat II have provided a floating auger which is very simple, easily manufactured at low cost, safe and eflicient.

Clearly many minor detail changes may be made in @the design shown without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as recited in the appendedclaim.

Having thusshown and described my inven tion, I claim:

A grain cutting and conveying device of the character de'scribed -comprising in combination, a trough having a cutter bar secured to its forward edge and a substantially, vertically extending rear plate secured to its rear .edge, a grain outlet in said rear platepositionedintermediate the ends.thereof-;-.and' extending've'r tically a con: siderable distance from the trough, sheet metal plates secured to the ends of said trough and vertically arranged plates .for" an' enclosure for thetrough and plates, verticallyext'ending elongated openings cut frorn'saidend plates, an auger conveyor having. end shaft. andb'ea'rin'gs thereon, which arepositioned within. said. elongated o enings, said bearings havingcn the front and'r'ea r sides vertically arranged .groove'slpositioned substantially in alignment with saidenclo'suresyerticallypositioned, relatively thin bars secured't'o the .front and rear sides of said elongatedop'enings and being e'ngaged'by'said' grooves whereby said b'earings are freet'o move vertically a considerable distance, other bars secured to the end closure plates at the bottom of said elongated openings, each having screw threaded means adapted to contact. thebottom of'saidfbear-ings and 1 determine the vertical position thereof}. the openings in-said enclosures being long. enough to permit vertical adjustment'of the bearings'and permit further vertical movement thereof, said other barsflbeing positioned whereby .When said bearings are adjusted to their lowest positions, the augergconveyor. will not. contact .saidltrough.

THOMAS CARROLL REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of record-in the' filei ofthis. patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Carroll SeptLZ, .1'9 47 

